1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to child carrier devices and more particularly to a device to be worn by an individual for use in supporting a child to be carried seated on the shoulders of the wearer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Devices for use in carrying children have heretofore been proposed in a variety of kinds. In one well-known arrangement, the child is arranged to be supported in a sling or harness worn on the back of an adult so that the child is carried papoose fashion. Such an arrangement is, however, suitable only for relatively small children and infants, and since the weight of the child is located entirely behind the back of the wearer, the load placed on the torso of the wearer is uncomfortable. Similarly, there are slings which may be worn on the front of the user.
Children have also traditionally been carried by adults in so-called piggy-back fashion, namely seated astride the adult's shoulders. This normally requires the adult to provide additional rearward support for the child to prevent it from falling, and devices have been proposed to provide such support for a child to be carried in this manner, so that the hands of the adult are left free. One such device, for example, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,910 which comprises a backrest means arranged to provide rearward and lateral support for a child seated on the shoulders of an adult, the backrest means being interconnected with bracing means arranged to engage against the back of the adult.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,700, discloses a device which comprises a backrest for providing rearward and lateral support for the child, a bracing means for engagement against the rear of the torso of the wearer and a lever structure interconnecting the bracing means and the backrest. The structure extends forwardly and upwardly below the arms of the wearer and in front of the shoulders before passing behind the shoulders of the backrest. Thus, the structure utilizes the frontal shoulder region as a fulcrum to transfer a rearward load on the backrest to the bracing means.